In some work stations such as a paint spray booth or kiln, work is moved through the work station while supported by a driverless vehicle. The driverless vehicle is propelled through the work station by contact between a tow pin and a pusher on the auxilary endless conveyor. After the driverless vehicle has traversed the work station, it comes to a halt along a pair of tacks.
The present invention is directed to a solution of the problem of how to provide a tugger vehicle for pushing or pulling the work loaded driverless vehicles to a powered section of tracks or a primary conveyor. The tugger vehicle must be driverless, must travel along its tracks until it makes contact with the work loaded driverless vehicle whose exact location is unknown, and must then reverse its direction of movement so as to push or pull the work loaded driverless vehicle away from the work station to a location wherein the vehicles separate with the tugger vehicle returning to retrieve another work supporting driverless vehicle whereby the system is automated.